Liverpool star Keita pays tribute as nine victims of Guinea bus crash confirmed

Liverpool star Naby Keita has led tributes to the victims of a bus crash involving a football team in his homeland of Guinea.

The team bus carrying Etoile de Guinee crashed en route to a game on Thursday, 250km from the capital city of Canakry, leaving nine dead and a further 18 passengers injured.

The club, who play in the second tier of the Guinean football league, were travelling to the city of Kankan to face Karamoriyah with Gazetta dello Sport reporting 27 people were on board including 22 players, four members of backroom staff and the driver.

A list of the nine victims was published by the Guinea Professional Football League including Almany Keita, but StarSport understands reports of a family member being involved in the accident are untrue.

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Keita, who is due to be in action as Liverpool host Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime, paid tribute to the victims on Instagram shortly after news broke but did not make reference to any family members involved.

He posted on his Instagram saying: "I am shocked, sad and heartbroken at this terrible news.

"I send my sincere condolences to all families of the victims, as well as the whole sporting family of Guinea.

"Rest in perfect peace guys."

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Speaking to Guineematin.com, Étoile de Guinée's manager said: "We were going downhill when the bus' breaks suddenly gave way. There were three corners; the driver somehow managed to negotiate the first two, but there was nothing he could do about the third.

"He lost control of the vehicle and hit crashed into a tree."

Reports have said those in a serious condition were evacuated to Conakry.

The fatal accident is the second involving a Guinean football team in recent months.

At the end of January, three people died when the team bus of top-flight side Wakriya AC was also involved in an accident.

The night-time accident involved the bus crashing with a stationary truck in Friguiadi, outside the capital Conakry.

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Sierra Leonean Alfred Kargbo died at the scene of the crash, while midfielder Aboubacar Camara and bus driver N'Fa Laye died in hospital the following day.

Guinea is situated in western Africa and borders Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Liberia.

Keita is their most famous football, having won 35 caps for his country.

He arrived at Liverpool from RB Leipzig in 2018 and despite injury problems has been an important member of Jurgen Klopp's squad.

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